We have established and characterized 87 human lung cancer cell lines. Resected primary tumors and aspirates or biopsies of metastitic lesions were cultured in non-selective serum supplemented medium or in partially or fully defined selective media (HITES for small cell carcinoma, SCLC, and Rheinwald's or LA3 for non-SCLC cancers). Success rates were 62/92 (69%) for SCLS and 25/55 (45%) for non-SCLC. Cell lines were characterized by histology of xenografts in athymic nude mice, by DNA content analysis, and by cytological, biochemical and ultrastructural examination. Clonogenic and dye exclusion assays were used for in vitro drug sensitivity studies. SCLC lines, from untreated and previously treated patients consisted of classis lines (45) having typical morphology and neuroendocrine markers, or variant lines (17) having atypical morphology and selective loss of markers. Non-SCLC lines, from untreated patients, consisted of: adenocarcinomas (8), well or poorly differentiated; bronchioloalveolar (3) of Clara cell or type II pheumocyte varieties; squamous cell (3), moderately or poorly differentiated; large cell (3); adeno squamous (2); mesothelioma (3); and other (4), consisting of mucoepidermoid, carcinoid and oncocytoma. In most cases, the lines retained the morphological and biochemical features of the original tumors. Drug sensitivity assays demonstrated considerable differences in the relative sensitivity of the lines, and also in the effects of individual drugs. The cell lines demonstrate the great diversity of lung cancer types and they provide a comprehensive panel that is suitable for biological and drug sensitivity studies.